Taste Of Chicago 2011 announces food booths, looks underwhelming

With all the kerfuffle over Taste Of Chicago this past winter, it should come as no surprise that this year’s lineup of eats isn’t exactly a barnburner. This year’s event will be held in Grant Park from June 24 through July 3. All in all, about 60 vendors will participate—that’s seven more than last year—including such high-class establishments as the Billy Goat Tavern, Eli’s Cheesecake, Maxwell Street, The Fudge Pot, and the unfortunately named Parrot Cage Restaurant. So, basically, it’ll be like an airport food court, but outside and somehow more expensive. 

Each vendor will be slinging six items, including two smaller “taste of” portions for $2 or less. Admission, as always, is free, and food tickets will be available at a discount at Dominick’s stores beginning June 16.

For those Chicagoans who are interested in going way out of their ways to get something they could otherwise get around the corner from their houses, the full culinary lineup is below.

2011 Taste of Chicago:
Abbey Pub
Roasted Corn on the Cob; Fish and Chips (Fries); Irish Egg Rolls
“Taste Of”: Fries with Curry; Irish Egg Rolls

Abundance Bakery
Caramel cupcake; blueberry muffin; caramel pecan cupcake; brownie
“Taste Of”: Butter cookies; oatmeal raisin cookies

Adobo Grill
Guacamole and chips; pork tacos; chicken tamale; churros
“Taste Of”: Cheese empanada; churro

Alhambra Palace
Falafel sandwich with Jerusalem salad; chicken kabob basket; beef shwarma sandwich; hummus
“Taste Of”: Falafel with hummus; baklava

Arya Bhavan
Samosa; chana masala; geera (cumin) rice; bhel
“Taste Of”: Samosa; bhel

Bacino’s Pizza of Lincoln Park
Stuffed spinach pizza slice; stuffed sausage pizza slice; thin crust cheese pizza slice; thin crust sausage pizza slice
“Taste Of”: Stuffed spinach pizza slice; thin crust cheese pizza slice

Banana Leaf Restaurant
Four jerk wings with rice; blackened tilapia with rice; jerk lamb chop with rice; curry vegetable stir fry
“Taste Of”: Two jerk wings; curry vegetable stir fry

Beggars Pizza
Thin crust cheese pizza slice; thin crust sausage pizza slice; thin crust pepperoni pizza slice; deep dish sausage pizza slice
“Taste Of”:  Thin crust sausage or pepperoni pizza; mostaciolli with marinara sauce

Billy Goat Tavern & Grill
Rib eye steak sandwich; double cheeseburger; single cheeseburger
“Taste Of”:  baked potato chips; half cheeseburger

BJ’s Market & Bakery
Mustard-fried catfish; barbecue turkey tips; fish taco; sweet potato chips
“Taste Of”: Mustard-fried catfish; peach cobbler

Bobak Sausage Company
Maxwell Polish sausage; beer bratwurst sausage; all-natural chipotle chicken sausage; ultimate sausage sampler platter
“Taste Of”: Mini Maxwell Street Polish sausage; Mini chipotle chicken sausage

Carbón
Fire-grilled steak taco; tortilla encrusted tilapia taco; marinated grilled chicken breast taco; sampler platter (all four tacos)
“Taste Of”: Fire-grilled steak taco; fire-roasted veggie taco

C'est Si Bon!
Sweet potato cheesecake; collard green egg roll; Cajun meatballs; spicy chicken wingettes and sweet potato biscuit
“Taste Of”: Cajun meatballs; fresh fruit cup

Chicago Sweet Connection Bakery
Atomic cake; eclairs; sweets on a stick; parfait cup, Oreo
“Taste Of”: Parfait cup, Oreo; eclairs

Chicago Joe’s
Popcorn shrimp with fries; calamari with fries; jumbo fried shrimp with fries; cheesy seasoned fries
“Taste Of”: Cheesy seasoned fries; firehouse chili

Churro Factory
Churros; funnel cake; ice cream; frozen bananas
“Taste Of”: Churritos; bunelos

Connie’s Pizza
Deep dish cheese pizza slice; deep dish sausage pizza slice; 10” gluten-free pizza slice; frozen banana
“Taste Of”: Mini meatball sandwich; slice of gluten-free pizza

Cubby Bear
Garlic Fries; Barbecue beef sandwich; mac and cheese bites; Maine lobster roll
“Taste Of”: Mac and cheese bites; white chicken chili

Dominick’s
Red/green seedless grapes; cherries; watermelon slice; roasted ultra sweet corn on the cob
“Taste Of”: Half watermelon slice; pineapple bites

Eli’s Cheesecake Company
Eli’s frozen chocolate chip crunch dipper; Eli’s cookie crazy Oreo smoosh with vanilla ice cream; Eli’s turtle cheesecake; Eli’s original plain cheesecake; Eli’s original plain cheesecake with strawberries
“Taste Of”: Eli’s original plain sheesecake; Eli’s “skinny chocolate” cheesecake

Franco’s Ristorante
Italian ice combo (lemon, watermelon, blue raspberry); Italian lemon or watermelon ice; homemade strawberry gelato; homemade staciatella gelato
“Taste Of”: Italian lemon ice; Italian watermelon ice

The Fudge Pot
Chocolate-dipped strawberry; chocolate-dipped frozen banana; Combination:  strawberry, fudge, banana
“Taste Of”: Baby chocolate frozen banana; chocolate fudge 

Garrett Popcorn Shops
Popcornsicle; the Chicago mix; 1/2 lb. mixed nuts; ice cream
“Taste Of”: Popcorn ball; mixed nuts sampler

Guey Lon Restaurant
Orange chicken with fried rice; shrimp and vegetable tempura; egg roll; crab rangoon
“Taste Of”: Vegetable tempura; pot stickers

Harold’s Chicken No. 71
Chicken wings; chicken nuggets; fried okra; fries
“Taste Of”: Fried string beans; one wing and fried okra

Harry Caray’s Restaurant
Holy Cow potato chips; fried dough; toasted cheese ravioli
“Taste Of”: Toasted cheese ravioli; oatmeal raisin cookie

Hashbrowns
Sweet potato fries; sweet potato hashbrowns; Maxwell Street burger; barbecue meatballs
“Taste Of”: Sweet potato fries; sweet potato hashbrowns

Home Run Inn Pizza
Cheese pizza slice; sausage pizza slice; six wings; cookie with ice cream
“Taste Of”: Two wings; harvest salad 

Iyanze
Rice and beans with jerk and plantain; jollof & oxtail; coconut rice with sauteed beef; bissop sorbet
“Taste Of”:  Bissop sorbet; jerk chicken

JR Dessert Bakery
Plain cheesecake (with fresh strawberry or caramel pecan sauce); frozen chocolate-dipped cheesecake bar; key lime pie; chocolate molten lava cake (with or without ice cream)
“Taste Of”: Plain cheesecake; ice cream with fresh strawberry sauce

Kasia’s Deli
Pierogi (potato, sauerkraut, beef, cheddar jalapeño); Polish sausage sandwich with onion or kraut; potato pancakes with apple sauce or sour cream; chicken/sausage kabob with vegetable rice
“Taste Of”: Pierogi potato; cheese/strawberry blintz with chocolate topping

La Justicia
Enchiladas; steak taco with pico de gallo; nachos (steak or chicken)
“Taste Of”: One enchilada; chicken breast taco 

Lagniappe-Creole Cajun Joynt
Catfish po’boy; crawfish boil; chicken and waffles; beignets
“Taste Of”: Pralines and cream; beignets

Lao Sze Chuan
Dry chili chicken; salt and pepper pork rib; crispy shrimp in lemon sauce; vegetable fried rice
“Taste Of”:  Dry chili chicken; spring roll (vegetarian)

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
Cheese pizza slice; sausage pizza slice; Malnati salad (chopped); bruschetta
“Taste Of”: Malnati salad (chopped); bruschetta

Loving Hut
Home Run ball (fried vegetable textured protein with sweet/spicy sauce); drumsticks; kung pao with rice
“Taste Of”:  Drumsticks; tiramisu

Manny’s Cafeteria and Delicatessen
Barbecued turkey leg; corned beef brisket sandwich; potato pancakes; apple pie square
“Taste Of”: Apple pie square; macaroni and cheese

The Noodle Vietnamese Cuisine
Bahn mi (vietnamese sandwich) with beef or chicken; breaded chicken with butter rice; crab rangoon; red bean, boba shaved ice with milk and jelly
“Taste Of”: Sesame beef on a stick; crab rangoon

Oak Street Beach Café
Grilled slippertail lobster with potato; grilled shrimp skewer with potato; grilled bourbon chicken wrap with potato; nachos with cheese/jalapeños
“Taste Of”: Bourbon chicken; garlic potatoes

O'Brien’s
Celtic corn on the cob; gourmet beef hot dog (Chicago style); buffalo popcorn shrimp; French fries
“Taste Of”: Cherry dumpling; French fries

Original Rainbow Cone
Original Rainbow Cone (cake cone); cookie dough or cookies and cream; waffle cone sundae; Original Rainbow Cone (waffle cone)
“Taste Of”: Taster cup of rainbow; dream cup (vanilla yogurt and orange sherbert)

Parrot Cage Restaurant
Turkey meatloaf “cupcakes”; seafood gumbo; seafood salad; red velvet cupcake
“Taste Of”: Red velvet cupcake; seafood gumbo

Pegasus
Gyros; Greek chicken on pita; loukaneko (Greek sausage); soutzoukia (Greek meatball)
“Taste Of”: Loukaneko (Greek sausage); baklava

Polka Sausage And Deli
Polish sausage sandwich with kraut; bratwurst sandwich with kraut; grilled chicken breast with onions; pierogis with sour cream
“Taste Of”: Bratwurst sandwich; pierogi

Polo Café And Catering
Barbecue grilled boneless pork chop slider with grilled onions; baked salmon mini burger; crab cake nuggets (baked); garlic mozzarella cheese bread
“Taste Of”: Cheesy Hhomemade Cajun chips; garlic mozzarella cheese bread

Reggio’s Pizza
Turkey sausage pizza on wheat crust; sausage pizza; cheese pizza; red, white and blue Italian ice
“Taste Of”: Cherry Italian ice; cheese pizza

Ricobene’s
Italian breaded steak; beef and sausage combo; fresh-cut fries with cheese; boneless buffalo chicken wings
“Taste Of”: Italian breaded steak; breaded eggplant sandwich

Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs
Barbecue ribs; rib tip; boneless rib sandwich; chicken tenders with sweet potato fries
“Taste Of”: Chicken tenders; sweet potato fries

Ryba’s Fudge Shops
Half slice of fudge; full slice of fudge; caramel apples; chocolate-covered strawberry
“Taste Of”: Two pieces fudge sample; pecan turtle

Sabor Latino
Steak and onions with rice and pigeon peas; Puerto Rican steak sandwich; steak jibarito sandwich; banana dumpling, pork-filled
“Taste Of”: Jibarito; coconut ice

The Smoke Daddy
Pulled pork; pulled chicken; barbecue chips
“Taste Of”: Pulled pork; pulled chicken

Star Of Siam
Pot stickers (chicken and vegetable); pad thai noodles; grilled chicken satay; shrimp and vegetable tempura
“Taste Of”: Pad thai noodles; pot stickers (chicken and vegetable)

Starfruit Café
Original flavor frozen kefir with two toppings; pomengranate frozen kefir with two toppings; birthday cake frozen kefir with two toppings; strawberry flavor frozen kefir with two toppings
“Taste Of”: Pomengranate frozen kefir; original flavor frozen kefir

Texas De Brazil
Combo Platter (combo of the following items): signature garlic-marinated Picanha; Brazilian sausage; chicken breast wrapped in bacon
“Taste Of”: Quinoa salad; Brazilian sausage or chicken wrapped in bacon

Timothy O’Toole’s
Buffalo wings with ranch; chicken fingers and tots; footlong corn dog; cheezy tater tots
“Taste Of”: Buffalo wings with ranch; fresh carrots, celery and ranch

Tuscany
Italian beef sandwich; Italian sausage sandwich; Italian turkey meatballs; chicken parmigiana sandwich
“Taste Of”: Toasted cheese ravioli; Italian sausage sandwich

Tutto Italiano
Fried ravioli—marinara; steak burger with blue cheese; grilled chicken mozzarella sandwich; lemon-lime ice
“Taste Of”: Italian ice; seasoned fries

Vee-Vee’s African Restaurant
Fried plantain with sauteed goat meat; red beans and rice with grilled jerk chicken; jollof rice with sauteed goat meat; red beans and rice with fried plantain
“Taste Of”: Red beans and rice with grilled jerk chicken; jollof rice with sauteed goat meat

Vermilion
Chimichurri popcorn shrimp; grilled chicken kabab, tomatillo potatoes, charred onions; “The Maharaja Sandwich” pulled beef, crisped onion, mint mayo; ginger-dusted crisp apple fritter, mango cardamom sauce
“Taste Of”: Mango-dusted fries, tamarind chutney; grilled chicken kabab, tomatillo potatoes, charred onion

Vienna Beef/Gold Coast Dogs
Hot dog (Chicago style or plain); Maxwell Street Polish sausage or plain; fire dogs (mustard or plain); French fries
“Taste Of”: Pickle on a stick; mini corn dogs